Exit, Stage Left
by Witchy-ways
Summary: What happens when little Jazmine gets the coveted role as an extra at a play held at J Edgar Hoover Elementary School and tries to persuade the young revolutionary to renounce his anti-political plans and succumb to her childish wishes of attending it?


**Exit…Stage Left**

_What happens when little Jazmine gets the coveted role as an extra at a play held at J Edgar Hoover Elementary School and tries to persuade the young revolutionary to renounce his anti-political plans and succumb to her childish wishes of attending it? _

**Disclaimer: Well I DON'T own the Boondocks, although I really wish I did. xD This is veeeeery cheesy so unless you like this lovey dovey stuff …anyway, hope you'll enjoy it. I had fun writing it. Hope they'll be more to come. winks**

**All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.**

An affectionate breeze coiled through a stack of amber sunburn leaves, sending them through the air as though it were a mere graceful dance. Whispers staggered over the majestic crown of the trees, the warmness spreading through the air with an alluring swiftness. Under the tree's shadows, protected, was the stately figure of J. Edgar Hoover Elementary school, standing in silence because class was in session. It is here in a vast classroom, with a window overlooking the street, stood what was to be one of the future revolutionaries that would bring an ounce of order into the chaotic world we live in.

The tiresome, slightly irritated gaze that he held was overshadowed by the massiveness of his afro, a symbol of his proud ethnicity. His mocha colored complexion was lightened by the intense beams of light that shot from the sun. The young ten year old listened annoyingly at his teacher's constant ramblings about this day's history lesson about the Civil War that took place between 1849 and 1865. The lesson barely started so the teacher's monotone voice carried out faded words in recognition to how the war began when Confederate General Pierre Beauregard opened fire upon Fort Sumter.

Huey Freeman gazed blankly at his teacher, Mister Petto, with one hand supporting his jaw, while the other one tapped the surface of his desk in an act of dullness. What was more beautiful that discussing how the white people succumbed to acts of violence in a time when they couldn't reconcile fundamental differences in their approach to government, economics, society and African American slavery? Perhaps listening to the constant stuttering of his teacher would beat it. Perhaps…or perhaps not…

The little boy was merely the only African American student in this classroom and even simpler enough he along with his granddad and brother Riley were the very few black people that lived in the sunny white suburbia town of Woodcrest. Of course the only slight exception would be the everlasting quirky and highly spirited mulatto girl, Jazmine Dubois, daughter of Sarah and Tom Dubois, an interracial couple, but still the pastiness of her skin proved otherwise to the ones who weren't familiar with her background. She quietly sat on her chair two desks behind Huey, gazing absentmindedly at Mister Petto. History not being her forte, she indulged herself in meaningless doodles on the corner of her history notebook. Flowers, little birds, pink hearts, heart worthy scribbles made with a pink colored crayon, only emphasizing her childish flare.

"Now children…speaking of American history…" the teacher trailed off, searching his desk for a certain paper. Of course if had nothing to do with history… "The Principle is organizing a…ugh, where it is?" he stopped his thoughts till finally the lost paper was in his hands. "Aaah, finally. Well, as I was saying the Principle is very excited to announce that our annual spring play will be on in exactly one month." He forced a smile with the corner of his lips, scanning in the area for any enthusiastic faces; unfortunately nobody seemed to care about it. "And he wants actors…extras actually." He rubbed the back of his neck uneasy, trying to smile again.

"Extras? What extras?" Jazmine voice chirped all of a sudden.

"Well…extras…as in umm…tress and flowers and etc, etc, etc…" his voice trailed off, looking at the girl's emerald green eyes. "And I insured the Principle that you'd be ALL taking part in it. Just gotta figure out which one is which. Now come on, ain't that fun?" he ended his little speech with a wide grin, balling his fists in a way to display his anxiety. Ironically the students were also virtually excited about this, especially little Jazmine, who pretty much dreamt all her life to play the part of a beautiful flower.

Suddenly the overflows of whispers were disturbed when a little ebony hand was stretched out in the air, catching Mister Petto's attention.

"Yes, Huey?" his eyes glittered with a tint of hope…maybe, just maybe.

"Pardon me, Mister Petto, but can I be excused for a second?" his tone was bitter with the same pungent and striking glare that his burgundy eyes held. The teacher sighed defeated.

"Very well, you can be excused…but…" he startled the boy just as he was preparing to rise from his seat. "Huey, can't you for once, participate in a school activity. For once? Do it for our school, for the community." His eyes pleaded behind his translucent glasses.

Huey arched a perfectly ebony eyebrow at the man, with a hint of disgust creeping in at the corner of his slightly disgruntled mouth.

"And how does dressing up as a tree inflicts on the benefit of the community?" he urged, arms crossed, piercing his sight at him.

"Well…um…it'll be fun?" he changed his demeanor, masking his constant stuttering and shaky persona with a broad grin and arms spread out as a warm gesture. Needless to say it didn't work.

"Mister Petto, I do believe that depriving myself into such an act is immoral and definitely uncalled for. This would definitely be apart of the structure that I view as inhibitive and self destructive for our modern day youth. And no, I don't want to play the part of a goddamn tree." He snapped, marching forward toward the door with his backpack slugged behind his shoulder. The loud thud that aroused with the slamming of the door made all the students screech their teeth in anguish. Jazmine's immature eyes stared at the door emotional, sighing crushed, while shaking her head in a sluggish manner. "He'll never change." She whispered to herself sorrowfully.

**One hour later…**

A little bell signaled the end of class unleashing a storm of overly excited screams of brightness and relief at the same time. Little Jazmine walked on the school's steps, scanning the area worryingly for that small familiar figure, and right there, leaning beside a lamp post next to the school property was the afro bearer; His expression plastered with the same look of tiresome annoyance. He kept his hands crossed and as soon as he saw the little mulatto he sighed, sunk his hands in his pockets and went ahead, knowing she'd already run to be next to him. Said and done. Jazmine flashed her bright and innocent smile while sprinting her way toward the boy, clapping her hands in an exaggerated giddiness that contrasted with Huey's mood.

"Huey Freeman, can you ever stop being such a spoiled sport." She pouted childishly avoiding his striking glare. He knew it would be coming. The boy stood silent.

"Oh pleeeease, pretty please with sugar on top?" Jazmine entwined her hands together, tilting her head to give him an outmost puppy dog look.

"Jazmine, we've discussed this and the answer is no." he cut her off sharply, increasing his pace to be at a few inches away from her, she pouted once more and did the same, almost running every two steps she made.

"You know what I always dreamed when I think of the stage?" she questioned while jerked her head up to the clouds smiling cutely.

"No. And I don't think I want to know." Huey muttered the last sentence under his breath. The girl ignored him and continued.

"I always dreamt that after you perform on stage the whole crowd would rise from their chairs and applaud me. Hehe…oh, and and …" she clapped her hands grinning cutely. "They all throw red roses at the stage, you know, like in the movies. Wouldn't that be magical?" She finished her story with a chuckle.

"You do realize that chances are that you'd be wounded if one of the rose's thorns would hit you. And I don't think that would pleasant or _magical_ as you described it." He rolled his eyes stubbornly, emphasizing the "magical" word. "Stitches aren't a laughing matter, Jazmine."

"Huey Freeman! Don't ruin my dreams!" she snapped out childishly, crossing her arms over her chest tightly.

"I'm just saying." He raised his shoulders, glaring at the door of his house. They arrived back at the Freemans' estate, a rather modest house that stood soaked in the sunlight's pool of intense brightness. He stopped his tracks, the beams reflecting on his crystal clear burgundy orbs.

Before Jazmine could barely opened her mouth to reply with another plea to join in the school play, high pitch yells were heard from the background of the estate, mainly a little boy being chased by his grandfather so to say, fluttering a leather belt in his hand. He tried to whip the air as though he wanted to herd a cattle. With the amount of energy that little gangsta' boy detained, it would be an understatement to compare him with a bunch of farm animals.

"GRANDAD! I did'n say anythin'! YO!! GRANDAAAD!" Riley circled the whole garden, peeking in from behind his shoulder from time to time.

"Hush boy and you get ya sorry little black ass back. DAMNIT BOY!" Granddad demanded, running with an abnormal speed for a person his age. Whatever that age might be.

Huey sighed, almost bewildered at their own ignorance. Such scenes were present in a regular day to day basic, but that didn't mean they were acceptable. But that's what Huey learned over the past year living under the same roof with his grandfather and brother. Tolerance is key. He shook his head annoyed at the scene watching with the same indifferent expression as always. Jazmine stared at the two with her mouth half open, covered by her two petite hands.

"GRANDAD! I did'n say anythin' wrong, I just said BITCH."

"Boy, don't be cussin' under MY ROOF! And don't say something like that to ya Aunt Cookie. COME BACK BOY!" he kept whipping his belt completely missing the boy.

"It ain't my fault Aunt Cookie's a lazy h.."

"BOY! Imma gonna whoop your ass so hard you gonna…"

"Wha'? Cry on you? Hehe, grandpa yous whack." The boy interrupted him, running backwards while poking his tongue out.

"Don't be talking bout me like that, oh you gonna get it." Granddad grunted his teeth together, doing anything to keep up with him. His pace slowed down, till eventually he stopped, leaning his hands forward to sustain his weight on his knees.

"Damn..I ain't as young as I used to be..Ooof…Gah.. YOU JUST WAIT, the minute you step foot in ma house you gonna get it." He panted continuously, eying Riley intensely while his hand balled into a fist shook in the air like a deranged lunatic.

"Ooo, I'm scared, look a' me, I just peed myself." The boy snickered, looking with his caramel nose up at his granddad, his hands crossed in a ghetto fashion.

"Don't make me go there, Riley." His brother retorted still bestowing a calm and cynical expression.

"Shut up, nigga." Riley turned his back to glance at him and poked his tongue out.

They all made their way inside the building, Riley tiptoeing toward his room so that Granddad wouldn't be aware of his existence. Huey sighed and hung his coat, not at all aware of the two afro puffs that stood beside him. She was so silent; he almost forgot the girl followed him here. As though reading her slightly giggle-ish face, he struck her the same stone calm glare.

"For the last time…NO." he highly accentuated the last word, causing his boyish echo to hit every wall like a ping pong ball.

"But…" she wanted to continue, a gentle beam of a runny effect caressing her emerald iris, the whiteness bristled on her pupils, dilating them even more.

She was on the verge of crying, but retained the same ambition and followed the aggravated boy up stairs.

The little pitter patter of footsteps behind him was a nuisance for Huey, struggling to find a way to make her understand. This almost idiotic ambition was part of human nature, but how can someone overcome it? By giving up…No, of course not, even though it says that the wise one always gives up first. But this request was above any ridiculous act he was asked to do. From time to time faint sobs were heard in the background. Huey balled his fists and tried to stay calm. While gently pushing the door up his room, he found Riley sitting on his bed and toying with one of his many collectable arsenals, shooting a messily basketball causing it to move from one point of the room to another. In other words he was conducting a very sophisticated physics experiment. A sort of "Kids don't try this at home" thing.

Huey grabbed a book from his nightstand and sat on his perfectly still mattress, once more becoming completely oblivious of the girl's futile attempts in obtaining his attention. With trembling lips she sheltered her face with her ashen hands, striving to cover any tears that would soon gush on her crimson cheeks. That however captivated the younger sibling's notice, holding his weapon still while bestowing an unfathomable scowl at the girl.

"What'chu bitchin' 'bout?" his lips twisted into a grimace, annoyed at seeing the mulatto girl in his…I mean his and his bro's room to begin with.

Jazmine shook her head to eradicate any remaining tears that struck her, while relinquishing her hands and gluing them on her hip bones. She purred silently, a bit uneasy in talking to Riley all together. He wasn't exactly her most favorite person to have a conversation with.

"Huey is being unreasonable." She pointed her slender finger at him, striving to contain her hiccups.

"I'm UNREASONABLE?" Huey snapped, finally letting the book out of his sight. "Jazmine, have you ever stopped and listened to what you're saying?"

"Well, I'm not mister-party-pooper-doesn't-wanna-play-a-part-in-a-school-play." She linked her arms across her torso childishly, darting her vision away from Huey's maroon eyes that were practically shooting through her. "Playing the part of a tree is very sweet and…" her long string of arguments were suddenly interrupted.

Riley's olive eyes flickered with an unknown glow that wasn't customary to him, a wide flame smoldering on the edge of his irises. A smile started to creep in as he jumped out of his bed with the most satisfied air ever seen on a human.

"Hol' on, hol' on! A TREE?" he pointed at his brother while the other hand pressed on his abdomen subsiding any upcoming shrieks of laughter, too late. He smacked his knee continuously, while engaging in an absolute laughing hysteria.

"That GAY ass nigga 's gonna be a tree. DAMN, that's the gayest thing EVA! You'd be workin' tha' trunk." He breathed in between giggles, inventing on the spot numerous jokes about the situation at hand. "That's some crazy shit, right there. Ahh…" he wiped out a tear that stripped down his mocha colored cheek, adding in a few chuckles. "Hol' on!" he scurried out of the room slamming the door shut, his frantic screams mixed in a swarm of hilarity were heard in the background. "YO GRANDDAD! WHERE THE CAMERA AT? I've got the shit to prove Huey's GAY!!!" the yelling was highly accentuated, even the loud thumping of his steps up and down the stairs were obvious.

Huey sighed, releasing his gaze on the previous paragraph he read for almost three times in a row due to constant interruption. Apparently the interruptions wouldn't stop yet.

The tension was increasing with every split second; immense bulging jade orbs fixed their gaze on the silent boy. She "humph-ed" at him to catch his attention, but it only unleashed a bitter silence…a taunting silence. Jazmine sighed, taking a few steps closer to his bed, kneeling down, while grasping on the edge of his mattress. Her eyes sparkled with drops of nearly formed tears, opening her mouth lightly to say something. He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, his flustered eyebrows knit together in exasperation and dullness.

"Yes, Jazmine?" his voice sounded harsh and with a tint of frustration, grasping tightly at the brims of his book.

"If…you don't wanna participate…um…would you at least…um…" she babbled trying to find her words that would deeply express her childish desire. She fidgeted with her fingers, keeping her gaze on the ground. "At least come and see…me?" she chocked the last word, feeling the agonizing feeling of a knot stuck in her throat. Her cheeks flushed a deep cherry, the color draining from her already pale features. The utter distress and intimidation that this boy inspired her where making her more shy by the minute. For a split second she could've swore his eyes grew ten times their length in shock, but she knew better, it was probably just some form of an optical illusion. Instead she witnessed the all too famous eyebrow jerking up.

"I'm very busy, I don't have time for meaningless extra curriculum activities." He replied almost courteous, eyeing the black engraved letters on the thin layer of paper.

Jazmine bit on her lip unnerving, the blush yet not fading from her cheeks, he might've noticed it too, but it wouldn't be important, not now when she was consequently heartbroken by the cold shoulder he always offered. A fainted "okay" escaped her lips, the sign of sheer disappointment emanated from the sound of her voice to her features. She let one more tear slip by, carelessly leaving it cascade on her check till it reached the bridge of her noise. She got up shakily and basically with her soul crushed; just one more step and she exited through the door slamming it shut with the same flair as Riley. But instead, there weren't strings of hysterical laughter echoing through the other side, but pitiful cries submerging from her broken heart. And then it all went quiet…for a split second; that is until Riley came busting in, disrupting Huey's reading again. He held a great perplexed expression pointing his index finger behind him where the once suffering Jazmine stood before going out the door. His lips stretched into a mischievous smirk.

"DA-YUM, that gurl is suffering from bitch dependency? Get it? Cuz you's a bitch." He grinned at Huey. This time, the young intellectual didn't elevated his eyebrow, didn't even release one single word, but instead threw the book right at his brother's head and got up to close the door in his face, wounding his nose.

"AYE! WHAT'CHU do dat fo'? Yo! DAMNIT, nigga, You GONNA PAY!" he cupped his hands around his nose, muttering curses after curses at his brother behind the door, till finally Riley's voice was nothing but a dim hum in the air.

"Dumbass…" Huey muttered, leaning his hand into retrieving his book.

His eyes scanned the same paragraph he'd been repetitively comprehending and unconsciously read it out loud.

"_Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one another, because one of them attracted by virtue of similarity, the other by difference."_

Only a person with Huey's intellect could rightfully understand the true meaning behind this quote, a citation about friendship… simple as that. Huey's eyelids shut soothingly across his burgundy irises, reciting the same line of words that were printed on the page. His frowned accentuated, whether of concentration or simple wonderment. With one swift movement he closed the book quietly and positioned it on his nightstand, releasing a sigh under a stone calm expression.

**One month later…**

Little communication was held between Huey and Jazmine since the past incident, the girl stubbornly holding a grudge against him. Even so besides the occasional miserable stares she peeked toward the boy in class, she never caught sight of him. The principle insisted on everyone to be at rehearsals after the school schedule was over so that means no walks with Huey. Maybe it was for the better…

Jazmine, being an extra didn't had no line at all, her job was to just be pretty and smile in a corner of the stage as the REAL actors did their job.

Finally the coveted day has come and everyone from lily white Woodcrest ran eagerly to witness their children delve into one of the seven arts. Of course nobody expected it to be brilliant; after all we are talking about underage children who have had no acting training whatsoever. It was just the thrill of parents to see their bundles of joy under the spotlight for a few modest minutes.

A few minutes during showtime and two minute ginger puffs squeezed in between two additional "flowers"; her elfin eyes squinted at the prospect before her; all the seats were occupied with highly anticipating mothers and fathers, their eyes widened due to their constant grinning.

Jazmine's cheeks turned crimson and hid behind her two classmates. She fiddled with the huge petals glued on her bonnet, wobbling her head incessantly. Somehow, one of the cardboard petals dangled aimlessly above her muzzle, tickling it profoundly. She wiggled her nose thoroughly, but the ticklish feeling didn't diminish. The corner of her mouth blew on and on but it still wouldn't go back to its place. Unexpectedly a sneeze was heard on stage causing all heads to turn curiously. Jazmine's eyes bulged out of their sockets, before rounding her features into an embarrassed smile. "Sorry." Her voice muffled against her sweaty palms, besieged by a tantalizing desire to shield her face from the utter attention. The plan didn't work out so well.

Tic, tock, tic, tock…

The timepiece from the right wall of the chamber ticked infuriatingly. Time just didn't want to pass.

Tic, tock, tic, tock…

The actor's voices overpowered the clock. The play's lines were so lifeless, lacking substance, lacking talented performers, in short an average 5th grade play.

Tic, tock, tick, tock… time shot its daunting whispers. Tic…tock…

The show ended in just the nick of time before it would entrap all the guests into its vortex of drowsiness. The main cast eagerly bowed down, receiving modest amounts of applauds. Jazmine pouted childishly at the vision ahead of her. This wasn't what she planned…not at all.

Ironically in less than five minutes the whole place was evacuated, not a being in sight, not a noise in range. Everyone was pretty eager to take their children home, especially with the previous snooze-a-thon they encountered. Jazmine, instead, remained.

Sheltered into the remains of her sorrow, she took one timid step forward. Nobody she knew came, she didn't get to shine, no tumultuous applauds and no rose to hold with sheer bride. Her naïve dreams were shattered. She plopped down, sighing, on the edge of the stage, her knees glued to her chest and her arms embracing them loosely. She rested her sweltering cheek on one knee, sobbing. Her tiny figure was drenched into the flashing lights of the stage, saturating her carrot like naps. Well, I guess now she was under the spotlight. The mulatto's lips gently parted unnerving, letting go of a dense conclusion that nobody thought she'd grasp.

"This just…isn't…fair."

"Life just isn't fair sometimes, Jazmine."

Her head jerked up startled at the voice that just responded to her cry. The childish, cynical tone of voice that was oh too familiar to her, she looked ahead, her heart pounding out of her torso. And there he was, arms behind his back, bearing the same bad disposition he always had, brows knit together in his constant frown. But somehow, his claret eyes softened when meeting her jade orbs, maybe it was due to his guilt, which he tried to mask it as hard as possible. He took another step closer, letting the light expose his navy blue sweater and the enormous russet afro. Jazmine's face lightened, the sweetest smile stretching across her face. She scurried on her feet, eager than ever to slip out his name across her lips.

"HUEY!" she ran toward him and wrapped her arms across his neck, the happiness bursting back into her heart.

The boy stood still and winced at the immediate interaction. He was used to it, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it, he kept a raised russet eyebrow the whole time, counting in his mind the amount of seconds that passed and she still remained in that position.

"Jazmine?"

"Yeah?" she giggled shyly.

"You can let go now."

"Oh." She parted away, feeling a sudden blush conquering her cheeks. Her gaze released on the ground. One second later, she caught sight of a ruby red rose at the tip of her feet, lying numbly on the wooden floor. Her lips curved into astonishment and picked it out quickly. Then she gently rose her glowing orbs at his piercing sight, the same dazzled expression painted on her.

"And stop having childish dreams, Jazmine, I may not be there the next time you have a sudden taste of the real world, okay?" he serenely explained, his eyebrows held backwards on his forehead.

"Thank you!" Jazmine nearly squealed out the whole sentence, preparing to take that one step and hug him once more. Before Huey could react, she already wrapped her arms around his neck as before. But this time, it wasn't he who interrupted her enthusiasm.

"Say CHEESE!" a slightly snigger-ish bellow was heard a few meters away from them. Then an almost blinding flash seized their sights.

"RILEY!" Huey shouted crossly at his little brother, holding in an expression that was mixed with both outrage and shock.

"Hahaaa! Got'cha, nigga! Aye…you turned like an ass in this pic, bro. Pst…I'll post it on Myspace." Riley snickered, squinting his eyes to see the preview capture of his image better. Suddenly his eyes bulged and a after flipping the bird at his brother he turned on his heel and made a run for it, Huey catching up speed to capture him. A usual brotherly love…

Jazmine chuckled watching the fainting shadows of Huey disappearing within seconds. Her gentle hands held the rose, caressing its petals with the tip of her nose while taking in the scent of this nature's miracle. Another giggle escaped her lips after she realized something…

…the rose had no thorns.


End file.
